Client Task Agent has lost registration with Task Server

Products

• Task Server

Issue/Introduction

Client is unable to download packages, and is not registered to a Site Server.

These INFORMATIONAL messages will be in the Symantec Management Agent logs on the client machine:

Client Task Agent has lost registration with Task Server.

Client Task Agent is configured for direct connection with parameters [:0:00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000].

Environment

Symantec Management Platform 7.x, 8.x
Task Server 7.x, 8.x

Cause

1. Site Servers in the environment were on an older version of the Altiris Client Task Server Agent and Package Server plugins than were the clients.
2. The Task Server had two NICs. The main NIC was identified in the Symantec_CMDB database as the primary address:   172.100.18.4.  The second NIC (used as a back-plane for backups and servicing) had address 172.100.20.10.  When attempting to ping the computer it responded with the secondary address, not the address that the local computer or external computers could make a connection over.  Using tracert, or NSLookup also resolved to the second address not the primary.   Even adding an entry into the local hosts file did not help. The problem was definitely environmental, and was likely caused by a NIC teaming or other redundancy strategy. Either way the Task Server could not connect to its CTS service nor could other computers.

Resolution

1. Ensure that the Task Server Agent and the Package Server Agent on all Site Servers are upgraded to the latest version in the environment.
2. In the instance where the address of the back-plane NIC was being returned was not resolved. The administratrator chose to recruit two other existing servers in the same subnet as Task Servers. Those servers worked without any problems.